THE battle between a developer and Kirklees Council over the future of a listed mill building took a fresh twist yesterday.
Permission to develop Newsome Mills in Ruth Street, Newsome, was granted last year but the development has stalled over conditions including the amount of affordable housing provision.
Its owners, Manchester-based Panorama Living, say the scheme to create 49 apartments and the erection of 20 houses cannot be afforded given the affordable housing and travel plan contributions sought by the council.
A member of the planning sub-committee, Clr Nicola Turner, told colleagues at Huddersfield Town Hall that it was “very, very disappointing that we were not able to negotiate one unit of affordable housing. The developer is not prepared to give us one.”
And Clr Andrew Cooper said: “There have been repeated entries into this building. There’s an urgent need to get this development passed.
“I would have liked to have seen affordable housing,” he said but the costs were such that “it didn’t make sense.”
The committee agreed to drop the affordable housing element and the travel contributions on the understanding that the company proceeds with the development within two years and prioritises putting flats on the ground floor of the mills in a bid to improve the security situation. Twelve houses and four apartments in the mill will need to be built.
